Window cleaner



G. A. MOLLER WINDOW CLEANER March 3, 1936.

Filed Sept. 3, 1935 flfforngsx Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to window cleaners, and more particularly to that type of window cleaner commonly known as a squeegee.

Cleaners of this type commonly comprise an elongated portion provided with a suitable handle and having a rubber-like cleaner member clamped in the elongated portion and provided with a straight edge for contact with the window. Heretofore it has been extremely difficult to secure the cleaning member in such a manner that the contacting edge will remain straight in continued use, and all portions of the flexible straight edge remain in a condition to contact over its entire length during the cleaning operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaner or so-called squeegee in which the contacting edge will be maintained accurately in alignment. In the usual form of squeegee, the rubber-like cleaning portion having a straight edge may be clamped between the flanges of a U-shaped sheet metal channel by means of spaced screws extending through the flanges and clamping the flanges together against the opposite sides of the cleaning member. During this clamping operation, the spaced screws securely clamp the cleaning member at points in transverse alignment with the screws. However, the flanges are distorted at this point and, due to the rigidity of the web and flanges of the channel, the cleaning member is not securely clamped by that portion of the flanges between the screws. This method of unequal clamping permits the cleaning member to be forced out of alignment between the screws and the cleaning edge is therefore not maintained straight and does not properly contact with the window along its entire length.

The present invention provides a simple and eflicient cleaner in which the flanges are elficient- 1y clamped along the entire length of the cleaning member, and the edge is therefore maintained accurately in alignment.

A further object is the provision of a cleaner or squeegee of the character described which will accurately maintain the alignment of the cleaning edge and which will be cheap to manufacture, easy to assemble, and in which the cleaning edge will remain in alignment over a long period of use.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cleaner or squeegee and illustrates one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the embodiment illustrated in Figure l with the handle removed and a portion broken away for purposes of illustra- 5 tion;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view in transverse section of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l and 2 and is taken on a line substantially corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 2; 10

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 and taken on a line substantially corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. 4. 15

Referring to the drawing in detail, the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 comprises an elongated U-shaped channel I, having a web 2 and. top and bottom flanges 3 and 4, respectively. The top flange 3 is preferably somewhat longer than the lower flange 4 and a rubber-like cleaning member 5 is provided with a straight cleaning edge 6 and is inserted in the channel with its opposite edge snugly against the web 2. A rubber-like reinforcing strip I, which may be of the same material as the cleaning member, is also inserted in the channel and snugly against the web in the same manner as the cleaning member 5. These members 5 and I substantially fill the channel I and extend therefrom as illustrated to provide a suitable squeegee arrangement. The upper flange 3 and the cleaner members 5 and I are suitably perforated to receive spaced screws 8, and these screws are threaded into the lower flange 4, whereby the flanges 3 and 3 4 may be clamped securely against the cleaner member 5 and reinforcing member I and retained in the channel.

The channel I is preferablyof somewhat resilient thin sheet metal, and it has been found that in devices heretofore manufactured, the clamping screws 8 securely clamped the cleaner members at points in transverse alignment with the screws. However the rigidity of the web prevented efficient clamping between the screws and particularly along the edge of the lower flange and it was therefore impossible to maintain the cleaning edge in alignment. The present invention provides elongated slots or perforations 9 in the web between the screws, and, preferably, im- 50 perforated web portions I0 in transverse alignment with the screws 8. By this construction it has been found that the clamping edge I I of the lower flange 4 uniformly clamps the cleaning member 5 and reinforcing member 1 snugly between the flanges over its entire length and therefore prevents the cleaning edge 6 from getting out of alignment. The cleaner is provided with a handle l2, preferably of sheet metal, which may be securely fastened to the channel I by means of two of the clamping screws 8.

By means of the arrangement just described, the flanges 8 and 4 may be securely clamped in transverse alignment with the screws 8 and that part of the flanges between the screws will also be securely clamped due to the fact that the slots 9 between the screws enables a free movement of the flanges over. their entire length in accordance with the clamping action adjacent the screws. The slots 9 are preferably narrow so as to permit the web 2 to overhang the cleaning member 5 and the reinforcing member 1 at points designated by the reference character l3 in Fig. 3. By this construction, the cleaning member may be accurately aligned against the web over its entire length and will be snugly retained in position. 7

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a slightly modified form of the invention in which the web 2 is preferably not perforated, but, instead, slots M are provided through the flanges 3 and 4 closely adjacent the web or through one only of these flanges. It will be apparent that in this modified form the flange portions 15 between the screws will be free to follow the clamping action of that portion of the flanges in transverse alignment with the screws, and the cleaning members will therefore be uniformly clamped throughout the entire length of the flanges. When one only of these flanges is slotted in the manner described above in connection with Figs. 4 and 5, the beneflts accruing will be approximated.

It will be apparent that modifications may be made .in the embodiments illustrated and described, and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A squeegee comprising a flexible straightedge cleaning member, a channel iron embracing said cleaning member over a substantial part of its width, means for clamping the flanges of said channel at spaced points to retain said cleaning member, said channel being constructed to provide greater rigidity in transverse section at said spaced clamping points than in transverse sections between said points.

' 2. A squeegee comprising a channel of comparatively thin sheet metal and having one flange longer than the other, a compressible member in said channel and extending therefrom to form a cleaner, and means engaging said flanges at intervals to clamp the cleaner member between the flanges, said channel being weakened in transverse cross section between the engaging means whereby the flanges are substantially uniformly clamped over the length of the channel.

3. A window cleaner comprising an elongated U-shaped channel, a rubber-like cleaning member in said channel and extending laterally from the open side thereof, and spaced clamping means engaging the flanges of said channel to clamp the cleaning member therebetween, said channel having apertures between said clamping means and arranged to enable substantially uniform clamping engagement of the flanges over the entire length of said channel.

' 4. A squeegee of the character described comprising a sheet metal channel having elongated spaced perforations through the web, a compressible member in said channel and extending therefrom to form a cleaner, means between said perforations for clamping said flanges against said cleaning member, said perforations enabling the flanges to be substantially uniformly clamped over the length of the channel.

5. A squeegee of the character described comprising a sheet metal channel having elongated spaced perforations through the flanges adjacent the web, a compressible member in said channel and extending therefrom to form a cleaner, means between said perforations for clamping said flanges against said cleaning member, said perforations enabling the flanges to be substantially uniformly clamped over the length of the channel. I

6. A squeegee of the character described comprising a comparatively thin sheet metal channel having elongated spaced perforations adjacent the web, a compressible member in said channel and extending therefrom to form a cleaner, clamping screws or the like extending through the flanges of said channel and out of alignment with said perforations and arranged to clamp said cleaner snugly between the flanges, said perforations enabling substantially uniform clamping over the length of the channel.

7. A squeegee comprising a sheet metal ,U: shaped channel having flanges substantially at a right angle to the web, one of said flanges being longer than the other, a flexible rubber-like cleaning member aligned against said web and extending beyond said flanges and positioned against said short flange, a reinforcing strip narrower than said cleaning member and aligned against said web and positioned snugly between said cleaning member and said long flange, and

spaced clamping screws extending through all of said elements for clamping said flanges snugly against said cleaning member and said strip, sufiicient material being 'removed from said channel between said screws to enable substantially equal clamping engagement of said flanges over their entire length.

GEORGE ALBIN MOLLER. 

